Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Dillon? Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Colorado horse camping excursion.
Guanella Pass Campground is located about 7 miles south of Georgetown on the South Fork of Clear Creek on the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. Located at an elevation of 10,900 feet on the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest, visitors to the campground can also enjoy hiking and fishing in the area. The Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway follows an old wagon route that linked the mining towns of Georgetown and Grant, Colorado.
Visitors can go trout fishing on the South Fork of Clear Creek. Silver Dollar Lake is nearby, but cannot be reached by car. Instead, the Silver Dollar Lake Trail leads hikers above treeline to the scenic lake.
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland sit along the foothills and Rockies of Colorado. The forests and grassland cover 1.5 million acres and extend north to the Wyoming border, south to Mount Evans and west across the Continental Divide. The area includes mountains, lakes and five scenic byways, designated by Congress for their scenery, wildlife or history, including the highest road in North America. Mount Evans Road, also known as Colorado Highway 5, allows visitors to drive from 10,500' to 14,130' above sea level in just 14 miles.
Visitors enjoy touring historic Georgetown, a former mining town of about 1,000 residents. Additional ghost towns dot the region.
For facility specific information, please call (530) 529-0578.
$23 / night
Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers multiple campgrounds, cabins, yurts, RV sites, group sites, and a guest house. From Memorial Day to early October, there are 132 campsites in two campgrounds: Reverend’s Ridge and Aspen Meadow. Reverend’s Ridge offers 38 tent sites and 59 sites with electrical hook-ups. Facilities at Reverend’s Ridge include flush toilets, shower, ice machine, laundry facilities, and a dump station. Aspen Meadow offers 35 tent sites and vault toilets. As of January 1, 2019 both campgrounds will be Reservation Only. Golden Gate also offers 20 backcountry tent sites and four backcountry shelters. Our backcountry sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis year-round. Please register for backcountry sites at the Visitor Center.
$18 - $90 / night
Kenosha Pass Campground is a small, conveniently-located campground heralded by backpackers on the Colorado Trail and by those looking for a scenic, mountain family getaway. Across the road from the campground entrance is the Kenosha Pass Interpretive Area, with an accessible interpretive trail showcasing wetlands and remnants of the South Park and Pacific Railroad. Kenosha Pass, the campground's namesake, is one of the nation's highest mountain passes, weaving over the spine of the Front Range from Jefferson to Grant. The route provides one of the primary access points to South Park, and boasts tremendous views of Mount Evans and Mount Bierstadt.
Excellent hiking, biking and horseback riding are available on the lengthy Colorado Trail, a 471-mile trail that extends from Denver to Durango. For a scenic drive, take in the views of the Kenosha Mountain Pass, then head to Guanella Pass for even more picture-perfect scenery.
At a 10,000 foot elevation, the region is commonly referred to as the High Country. Campsites are situated among lodgepole pine and aspen trees. Summer temperature are generally mild and cool, but the high elevation may cause very chilly nights.
For facility specific information, please call (303) 647-2366.
Jefferson Lake, known for its great fishing, is 10 miles north.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$25 / night
Sugarloaf camping is a first-come, first-served campground is located in the Williams Fork Valley next to the Williams Fork River. There are 11 non-electric sites that will accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Each site contains a tent pad, fire grate and picnic table. Additional facilities provided include restrooms and trash service. Drinking water is available at South Fork Campground ½ mile away. Due to the recent mountain pine beetle epidemic, campsites have no shade. Popular activities include hiking in the Arapaho National Forest and nearby Byers Peak Wilderness area, scenic driving and wildlife viewing.
$19 / night
Lodgepole Campground is a creekside destination with incredible Colorado mountain views. The campground is located 3 miles south of Jefferson Lake, one of the highest elevation lakes around, capping 10,685 feet elevation and bordered by steep 12,000 foot peaks. Fishing in both the creek and lake offer promising catches of trout. Another noteworthy aspect of the campground is its access to the Colorado Trail.
The best hiking, biking and horseback riding experience is on the epic Colorado Trail, a 471-mile trail that extends from Denver to Durango. Also accessible from the campground is the West Jefferson Loop Trail, a foot path that extends for 11 miles and reaches the Continental Divide. Rainbow, brown, mackinaw and brook trout can be found swimming in the creek. For those who prefer fishing by boat, Jefferson Lake has a boat ramp. It is a no-wake lake.
Lodgepole sits in a valley along Jefferson Creek facing Jefferson Hill at the high elevation of 9,900 feet. The single-loop campground is surrounded by groves of aspen and mixed conifer trees. Jefferson Lake, spanning about 182 acres, has deep, cold waters and freezes over in winter.
Visitors enjoy Fairplay, Colorado, a ghost town that was once a frontier boom town. The South Park City Museum contains 34 authentic buildings with 60,000 artifacts.
For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$22 / night
This recreation area is part of Bear Creek Lake
Lakeview Campground, with wonderful views of the Twin Lakes Reservoir, is located about 20 miles south of Leadville, Colorado. The campground attracts many hikers looking to explore nature and the hiking trails in the surrounding area. Boaters can launch their craft at the nearby boat dock and fishing enthusiasts can find numerous locations at Twin Lakes Reservoir for fishing.
The Continental Divide Trail, which runs from Canada to Mexico, is a non-motorized trail that passes Lakeview Campground. Mountain bikes are allowed in the section from Halfmoon Road south to Twin Lakes. Approximately 300 miles of the trail goes through Colorado. South of the campground lies Twin Lakes, Colorado's largest natural glacier lakes. Sailing and water skiing are among the popular activities here. Fishing includes lake, rainbow and mackinaw trout.
Lakeview is situated in a ponderosa pine and sage habitat at an elevation of 9,500 feet. The site is between Mt. Elbert Forebay and Twin Lakes. The Twin Lakes Reservoir spans 2,805 acres and Mount Elbert stands tall at 14,433 feet. To the north is the Mount Massive Wilderness area, 30,540 acres encompassing Mount Massive, Colorados second highest peak at 14,421 feet. To the south is the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness with 8 peaks over 14,000 ft high. Much of the wilderness is above timberline with many alpine plant communities and permanent snowfields.
The Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway leads to Independence Pass, one of the highest paved passes in Colorado. The historic mining town, Leadville, is a half hour away.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$26 / night
Camping is allowed at numbered designated campsites. No fee is charged. Practice Leave No Trace Principles.
Camping is limited to 14 days in one location. After 14 days, your camp must be moved at least three miles away.
Maximum stay is 28 days within a 60-day period. After 28 days, all property and people must leave the Roosevelt National Forest.
Scout
Sites weren’t marked like other places I’ve been but I expected it being dispersed. Had a wonderful time the sky was pretty it was secluded and lots of space for dogs to run!
Scout
Spaces are large and well maintained. Views vary with the spots but all are peaceful. There
Scout
Love all the room in the big sites! Area can be busy but keep going down the road and you’re bound to find a spot! Great area with lots of spots!
Scout
Came here with my roommates in July after only dispersed camping earlier in the summer. Nice spot with a metal fire pit (good for stage 1 fire ban), picnic table, and tent pad. Tent pad was big enough to squeeze two 3-person tents and a 6-person tent (barely). Walking distance to vault toilets. Some nice foresty hikes between Aspen Meadows and Reverend's Ridge. We could see some other campsites but didn't feel too squished. There's an actual parking lot but we just parked next to our campsite, off the road enough to let other cars pass by easily.
GuideI’m currently here and it’s pretty great. Nice campgrounds. Not close to anyone. Road up is 2wd. Keep heading up the small road to get to all the secluded camp grounds.
TravelerOur spot was in Aspen Meadows. The reservation confirmation gave us directions to Reverend's Ridge campground, which is wrong. It also said our site was on Aspen Loop, and there is no Aspen Loop - only Conifer Loop. It's a very poorly marked campground. It's also directly under a flight path. The toilets smelled like ammonia, horribly...but the campsite itself was clean.
GuideThis area is huge on Stillwater road so keep going for a spot! We are here in July and found a spot completely secluded and some of the large lots have vault toilets! Which is a real treat when you spent two weeks on dispersed areas all over the west with no bathrooms. Mosquitoes are a little heavy so bring spray. No wildlife spotted but this area did suffer a wild fire so a lot of the trees are burnt. A lot of the spots have fire pits made by rocks but bring wood! The first stops have more Mountain View’s and the farther you drive is next to the water!
Ranger
This is a really well run campground. They have tons and tons of activities on site and you could honestly spend your entire trip just at the campsite. They have horseback rides, ATV rentals, an animal farm, social events, pickle ball court, volleyball court, a nice general store, clean showers, bathrooms, laundry rooms, really everything you could ever want. The only downside is that it’s quite pricey, basically double what I would normally expect. But given the amount of amenities they have, it’s not surprising.
A cool fact is that you’ll be right next to the Colorado River. This is not far from where the river begins so its journey starts around here as a fairly unassuming creek.
GuideRoad leading to spots is dirt but not bad. Once you turn onto where the spots are the road does get Rocky. We stopped at the first site. Quiet. Off roaders showed up in the morning!
Traveler
We drove up around 8/9pm from Boulder. Most camps spots were already taken (1-8 sites only..) but we made our own site / shared with campsite #2. Roads are rough. Some loud campers nearby but we had fun.
Beautiful views and campfire spots!
Legend
This place is very windy. You can book lakeside or fireside. Lake has composting toilets and a large pavilion. The fire side has vault toilets and a nice group fire pit. This place has to be booked well in advance unless you are looking for a week day stay. It is $232 a night.
Guide
We have a 38ft travel trailer and we were able to go only about 3 miles up but found a great off the road spot by a creek.
Traveler
You definitely need to know where you’re going with this one, as the location on here isn’t really even close. The trail getting in/out is fairly rough and uneven, so you’ll need something with some sort of clearance. The sites themselves were pretty fantastic, clean, and accessible. There are more rewarding and harder to reach spots the farther you go, but plenty are easily available. You’ll find lots of fine folks walking, riding quads/bikes, etc. It’s not often you find a spot like this that isn’t crowded out.
GuideI drove here December 16th on a sunny day. Take the exit onto Fall River Road from the highway, a short road. You are then soon connected with forest service road of sorts York gultch. This connects a lot of off grid housing to the highway. well maintained crushed dirt.
At the GPS coordinates there are 3-4 drive in campsites and then a road that might lead to more. Idk I hiked around 1 mile and didn’t see other spots, you might have do drive in a couple more mirles
I spent the night here while I partied in Idaho springs for a mini vacation
Ranger
This is a very nice, quiet and quaint camping spot! We loved the wooded areas. The flat parking pads and hook ups! There’s nothing extra special here to make it a 5 star. I’d absolutely visit again!!…. But it’s not a bucket list spot!
The coolest thing is we did see a moose!
Traveler
Spent 3 nights here for memorial Day weekend. Was able to get up there early enough to get a good spot, but the spots went quickly! Designated dispersed with great views. On the west side of the road they are close to the creek but not protected from wind, on the east side the sites have more protection from wind. Lots of wildlife sightings! The road early on isn't too bad but having a car with some clearance would be helpful, especially the farther up the road you go. Great trip
Scout
Amazing views, friendly staff & nice set up. Wish we could have stayed a little longer. But definitely helpful when passing through.
RangerWe were going to give this a 3 star review based on our first night here in D loop. No water, sites close together and a long walk to the vault toilets, plus the site was not level. Our second night was in E loop. Sites are over 100 feet apart, level, flush heads, near free showers, and water available plus dish washing area, but no tent pads. Loops are either RV or tent. Tent loops also have sites too close for our taste, about 37 feet apart. Though if you choose carefully, a few sites are more remote. Some of the tent loops let you park adjacent to your site (loops H and I). Others you park in a common area and walk to your site. Volunteer staff very friendly. In season camp programs. Much jet noise from airliners leaving Denver. Some road noise also, but very quiet at night. Your experience will vary with your chosen loop and site. Overall nice, much more so in E loop and B loop looks similar. For tenting, I’d suggest H or I loop. Good T-Mobile.
GuideI came up for a night of camping with one of my dogs. I reserved the area with electric hookup since I brought the van. The area was very organized and tidy. Campsite was large with a picnic table, fire pit, and central spot for trash and recycling. Area was quiet, but close to a road. No cell service for phone if you’re wondering.
Traveler
About 45 minutes from Grand Lake entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. 9 mile dirt road to get to the campground. Nice level sites each with picnic/tent area. Vault toilets were clean. No water fill, dump stations, showers or flush toilets. Hosts said the camp was packed from 4th July until Aug 20th
LegendThis was our first time staying at Bear Creek Lake. The park is not part of the Colorado Wilds or CPW State Park system, but daily vehicle fees are included with your camping reservation. Our towed vehicle was included when we checked in at the ranger station.
The campground is at the back of the park, roughly 2 miles from the entrance. There is a lot of bike traffic and windy roads. Sites are mostly level, electric only, and relatively close together. We stayed in Site 41 which was walking distance to the pit toilets and water spigot. We had no trouble fitting our 29' Class C, tow dolly, and towed vehicle.
We filled our 7 gallon water jugs at the spigot to top off our fresh water tank. The spigot is the terrible skinny faucet that is not threaded as to dissuade RVers from connecting a fill hose to it. If you want to fill water jugs like we did, bring a short (<6') hose and a water bandit so that you don't waste water.
Pit toilets and flush bathrooms were clean and well maintained. The bath house at the center of the campground features coin operated hot showers, $2 for 10 minutes. The water temperature was very hot, but manageable. A great convenience since there are no sewer hookups at the sites.
This is a great place to camp if you want to explore Morrison, Golden, or catch a show at Red Rocks. The main park entrance closes at 9:30 and a back gate accessible from I-470 opens that allows access to the campground. We had no trouble getting an Uber to pick us up to go to Red Rocks, but had several driver cancellations trying to get back after a concert.
TravelerPros:
- great location for exploring Denver
- beautiful sunset
Cons:
- SO MANY FOXTAILS which can be deadly to dogs, and my site was covered in them. They're also everywhere throughout the campground. So if you have dogs I would not use this more than a stopover to recharge.
- Highway noise was very loud if outside rig
Cell: you're in the middle of a city, both AT&T and Verizon worked just fine
GuideModerate shade, not a lot of bugs, dusty, sites seem more for RV camper set up based on layout but we were able to find spots with this site specifically to set up 3 tents (other sites seemed like this would have been difficult), trial right by site where mountain bikers, hikers & backpackers may go by but wasn’t a whole lot of traffic, privacy is minimal, about 10 min drive roughly from site to twin lakes, separate pit and grill, picnic table but no bear locker, bathrooms were nice & well kept
ScoutThe Hummingbird Place
Scout
Beautiful park and gorgeous hikes - be aware there is not an insignificant amount of hiking necessary to get to your campsite; make sure you pack light or bring an all-terrain wagon since the trail can be arduous for heavy gear. There is one wagon for all the campsites but it's often occupied.
Watch out for junior park rangers with inferiority complexes and painfully attention-starved mustaches.
Scout
The sites are large and the campground heavily wooded. It’s close enough to hear the road traffic from 285 and there’s a lot of people hustling and bustling between campers and Colorado trail traffic.
TravelerLoad of campsites, you can access Forsythe Canyon Trailhead in any car but you will need a high clearance vehicle to get any further. Loads of spots to camp, some better than others but they do seem to fill up quick. If you park at the trailhead like we had too (rental car) then the hike all the way down is only 1hr or so maybe less
Horse camping in Colorado offers a unique way to explore the stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine companions. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and hit the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Dillon, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Dillon, CO is Guanella Pass with a 4.3-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Dillon, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 25 equestrian camping locations near Dillon, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
